OUTDOORS: Storm was what they promised and more

By Randy Julius Enterprise Correspondent

Saturday

Mar 3, 2018 at 5:24 PM

They said Friday’s nor’easter would be another bomb cyclone worse than the one we had in January and it was, without a doubt.

The weather reporters got it right this time. They said Friday’s nor’easter would be another bomb cyclone worse than the one we had in January and it was, without a doubt. I don’t really even know what a bomb cyclone is, but I’m going to pay a little more attention the next time one is headed our way.

The day before the storm the weather was so mild it was hard to imagine what we were in for. Temperatures felt like spring and Mary and I took walks in the morning and evening to take advantage of the day. At first light we went to the edge of a swampy area where we enjoyed the sights and sounds of big flocks of geese and red-winged blackbirds. There were also a variety of ducks: mallards, blacks, green-wing teal and one pair of ring-necks.

It was sunny all morning, but by afternoon grey clouds moved in as the storm front moved closer. There was no wind and it was still fairly warm when we took our second walk at dusk and got to listen to a loud chorus of spring peepers for the third time this year.

Back at home the six o’clock weather report sounded bad. Officials were asking people to evacuate coastal areas and warned of heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and possible loss of power. I took the time to put a supply of dry firewood on the porch and went to bed hoping for the best.

When I woke at daybreak to let the dogs out, the wind sounded like a freight train blowing through the woods around the house and it was raining hard. Branches were breaking and trees were falling. We made it through the day without losing power, but just after dark the lights flickered a few times, then off it went.

The next morning we were still in the dark. Mary showed me a message on her cell phone. It said the board of selectmen had declared a state of emergency for East Bridgewater and that 83 percent of the town was without power. Town officials and National Grid were working together to coordinate repairs to the power lines in town. According to the electric company, this was a Level 3 storm and repairs will take up to several days. Major damage to the lines and power infrastructure occurred and crews have arrived from Canada to help with the work.

As of Saturday afternoon, we still didn’t have our electricity back and I wrote this column using a small generator to run the computer. Losing power is an inconvenience, but at least we didn’t get snow and freezing temperatures with this bomb cyclone. Meanwhile, spring is inching closer and I’m looking forward to trout fishing and turkey hunting.

Spring trout stocking: MassWildlife’s trout-stocking program is scheduled to begin in the southeastern area of the state during the first full week of March with other regions of the state expected to follow soon after. Close to 500,000 brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout will be stocked this spring from MassWildlife’s five hatcheries in Sandwich, Palmer, Belchertown, Sunderland and Montague. These fish, coupled with the more than 65,000 fish stocked last fall, will provide some excellent fishing in the coming months. Anglers can get daily stocking updates at Mass.gov/Trout, or by contacting local district offices for the latest stocking information.

Most of the trout will be over 12 inches in length. More than 40 percent of the trout will be over 14 inches; 51,000 brook trout will be over 12 inches; 45,000 brown trout will be over 12 inches; 200,000 rainbow trout will be over 14 inches; 1,200 brown trout will be over 18 inches; 500 brook trout will be over 15 inches; 2,500 tiger trout will be over 14 inches.

Youth turkey hunt: Kids get the first opportunity to hunt wild turkeys during a special one-day hunt on April 28. The Massachusetts Young Adult Turkey Hunting Program offers hunters aged 12-17 the opportunity to participate in a field workshop that provides specialized training in turkey hunting and safety, including firearms instruction and practice, followed by a morning of turkey hunting with an adult hunter serving as a mentor. Hunter safety is emphasized in all aspects of the program. New participants must complete the pre-hunt workshop to obtain a permit. All participants must have a valid Hunter Education certificate prior to participating in the hunt.

New in 2018: Returning participants ages 12-14 must add a Youth Turkey Permit to their customer profile in MassFishHunt. Returning participants ages 15-17 must add the Youth Turkey Authorization 15-17 to their permit. For more information about the Young Adult Turkey Hunting Program, visit the MassWildlife website.